KOAN

The new, the next, the solo created now, in our times.
The solo alone - to see what can often only be seen alone.
The lone voice - not in the wilderness but in the modern place and state….
…..confused, angry, fearful……..insightful, observant, serene.

The single person acts and listens to the single person and the gathered crowd.

koan : a paradoxical anecdote / a riddle without a solution

…..origin in Japanese. : ‘a matter for public thinking.’

REVIEWS
“…..In addition, it testifies to Hamilton´s ability to separate oneself from one's own material - perhaps it is precisely in that detachment that the key to Hamilton's great production and patience lies. In rapid improvisation with text and dance, you are exposed, unplanned blinks can occur that you don't quite know where they come from. But unlike, for example, the world of literature, a performer is rarely faced with the eternal question: How much of this was you? One is protected by the fact that the audience is aware of the fiction on stage. In this way, we can witness a unique practitioner who has access to something that can be known as unfiltered intuition, but which in reality is precisely that because it has been filtered hundreds of times.”
Berit Einemo Frøysland  Norway 2022

“ JULYEN HAMILTON ‘s movement is as soft and easy as silk lying on your skin.. Yet his turns of speed can leaves you gasping, wondering what you missed while you blinked.
Suddenly a foot hooks behind a knee and he is on the floor. In another context it would be considered a partial fall, but the elegance with which it occurs takes us by surprise and forestalls the traditional guffaw in response.
The gestures, words and chants that seem somehow familiar yet also so strange were a feature of the evening, often subverting any interpretation we might impose upon his actions.
Hamilton’s work reflects the rejection of theatricality, overt expressionism, and explicit meaning adopted by choreographers from both sides of the Atlantic in the ‘70s. Hamilton’s movement articulation seemed to emanate from the very centre of his body and traverse pathways out through the limbs with such a clarity we could sense them.
As I got up to leave I was extremely conscious of my own movement and remembered the privilege of dancing.’
Hilary Crampton Herald sun

“...........total -Kontrast mit Hamilton. Leergeraumt die Reisenhalle.
Aber Hamilton, der ewege Gauker, fullt sie - spielend. Leichfusstig pirscht der durchs Halbdunkel. Heult seine Indianerklage. Tanzelt zwischen langen Scheinwerfer- Strahlen (Svante Grigarn-light). Beschwort und verbannt Erinnerung. Stammelt keine Ratsel-Botscaften, die wir zu entschlusseln suchen - wahrend sie ihn schon wieder zu neuern Luftfecten, Schattenboxen und Mondseiltanzen anggetrieben haben.
Bewegung funkt und flammt aus ihm heraus, standig, doch immer uberascend. Ungebardig und doch kontrolliert, in der kleinen wie in der grossen Form. Form, die keine Konstruch is, sondern Notwendigheit, auch ein Stuck geliebtes Leben - und deshalb interessiert.”
Malve Gradinger Munchen

“immer radikal, personlich. Ein Ausnahme-Artist.” Gabriella Lorenz

JULYEN HAMILTON
is a dancer/ choreographer/ poet/ teacher/ musician. He has been making and performing dances for 45 years throughout the world. Born and brought up in England he trained in London in the 1970’s, a time of radical experimentation, he has been an exponent of innovative performance since that time. His work is mostly improvised : he composes dance works instantly as well as the texts which often accompany them. His work with text is unique. It fuses naturally his long-term writing practice with his refined skills in dancing.
When working with his company ALLEN’S LINE he directs dancers and lighting designers to make and perform work through this same immediacy.
Since the 80’s he has performed constantly in close collaboration with many of the highest quality musicians from all over Europe. It is with some of these musicians that he gives readings of his poetry. He is at present performing the solos  ‘INTERVIEW’, ‘HELD DEAR’ and ‘a KOAN for our Times’  performing with bass player Barre Phillips and Nuria Andorra amongst many others.
With his company ALLEN’S LINE, he has been performing their latest piece ‘The Eclipse of Reason’ in Rome, Paris, Bruxelles and France.
As a pianist he plays regularly with Hamilton Carroll in Berlin and Brussels. Their first cd ‘POINTER’ was released in 2016. His label ‘BLUEDOG PUBLISHING.net’ produces videos of his performances on DVD, CDs and print. His new poetry album ‘Jack Gets Out of Prison’ with bassist Wilbert de Joode was released in 2018 and ‘The Road to Amarillo’ piano/text/bass with Giorgos Kokkinaris released in 2022.

www.julyenhamilton.com
www.allensline.com
www.bluedogpublishing.net

This guest performance is made possible by the financial support of Toplocentrala Center for Contemporary Arts and National Fund Culture, Bulgaria.